Flat-folding bucket.



E. J. MITCHELL.

FLAT FOLDING BUCKET.

APPLICATION HLED FEB. 26, l9t6.

Patented Oct. 24, 1916.

SMamtoz E. J. Michell witum ('lttozum mt mum's FEYERS cu wmnn'uruo. wnfsmuumu u 1 Nr oE ron ELMORE JEROME MITCHELL, or BIRMINGHAM, ALABAMA, AssIeNo -BY DIRECT AN MEsNE ASSIGNMENTS, T0 JOSEPH R. RUBEL.

, FLAT-FOLDING BUCKET.

To all whom it may concern:

\ Be it known that I, ELMORE JEROME MITCHELL, a citizen of the United States ofwhich can be constructed at a-small cost and at its top shaped to draw the fabric to form a pouring spout and having a vertical reinforcing bar inclosed in the longitudinal back seam of the bucket. The bucket sides are folded in and sewn at the bottom between the front and back to form a fiat bottom which is preferably reinforced by a stiffening rod or bar which is extended to form a bottom bail or handle. The inturned side folds are such that the whole body will fall into a flat shape naturally when empty. The top rim will'fold conveniently flat down on the body so that the bucket can be thrown in under the seat or into any convenient storage compartment and will require a minimum of space.

As illustrative of the preferred embodiment of this invention, reference is made to the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Figure 1 is a perspective View illustrating the bucket as partially opened out to be filled. Fig. 2 is an enlarged plan view showing the bucketfolded flat. Fig. 3is a" sectional view taken on the line 33 of Fig. 2; and Fig. 4 is a detail view of the bottom with the reinforcing flap turned back showing the manner of attachment to the bottom bail.

Similar reference numerals refer to similar parts throughout the drawings.

As illustrated, the body of the bucket isformed of a sheet of fabric of flexible waterproof material which is folded to present a Specification of Letters Patent.

' in any suitable manner.

bucket is reinforced and given a neat finish Patented .Oct. 24, 1916.

Application filed February 26, 1916. Serial No. 80,699.

front 1 and a 'back' 2 thatare connected along their side edges by folds 3 inturned and forming, when in expanded position,

what maybe termed the sides of the bucket. The meeting edges of the fabric are connected by a double seam 4 running up the center of the back and this double seam forms a pocket 5 in which T'insert a metal rod or bar 6 formed preferably of'ga'lvanized iron or stiff non-rusting metal and eX- tending practically from bottom to top of the bucket. The front and back are stitched together at their bottoms by one or more scams 7 with the infolded sides 3 caught by thestitching between them. "This gives a flat bottom to the bucket and. also closes the bottom of the pocket 5. The top of the bucket is folded over and around a stiff metal ring 8 and sewn to inclose the ring.

The ring then, opposite the center of the front 1, is bent about a former to give the top a spout-like portion 9. A flexible bail or handle 10 is provided at the top and attached at each end to the sides of the bucket The bottom of the by a strip of fabric 11 which is folded about the bottom on each side and is connected thereto by rows of stitches 12 which pass through the reinforcing strip and through the front, back and infolded sides of the bucket. Preferably this strip 11 is so attached as to leave en oughroom below the bottom of the bucket to receive a reinforcing wire or stay rod 13 which extends from side to side continuously and has its outer ends drawn back toward each other and connected together, preferably at a point within the fold of the bottom 11 of the bucket, so as to form the bottom bail or handle 15.

The ring 8 and the reinforcing rod or wire 15 are both preferably formed of galvanized iron or non-rusting material but it will be noted that all are retained in pockets in the water-proof fabric or material which are intended to exclude the water therefrom so that if desired any suitable reinforcing material may be used.

It is preferable to form a spout bent at 9 in the ring after the same has been sewn into the bucket, it being much easier to run a deformed ring.

the seam on the top fold around a ring than to followtheirregular spoutlike portion of It will be noted that the spout shaped top draws the fabric into a top fold 16, see Fig. l," which facilitates the smooth folding down of the top, as will be seen in Fig. 2.

In operation, by grasping the bail 10, the top is opened up into position to receive water, and when the bucket has been filled and it is desired to pour the same, the bottom bail 15 is grasped and the bucket tilted. The back reinforcing bar 6, under these conditions, holding the back rigid and thus formlng a rigid connection between the bails 10 and 15 so that the bucket is much more conveniently handled than if it were left loose and unreinforced throughout. The bottom reinforcing bar 13 braces the bottom and forms a conyenient and easily constructed handle or ball,

Having thus described my invention,

what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

l. A bucket formed of flexible material closed at its bottom and having vertical inturned side folds, and a substantially round reinforcing ring connected to the bucket top.

.2. A bucket of the character described having a flexible body formed withinturned side folds sewn flat between the front and back of the bucket at the bottom a top reinforcing ring bent to draw the front of the from top to bottom along the back of the bucket and inclosed in said seam, and a reinforcing ring at the top of the bucket bent to draw the bucket material into shape to form a spout at the front of the bucket.

4. A bucket of the character described having a flexible body formed with inturned side folds sewn flat between the front and back of the bucket at the bottom, a top reinforcing ring, and a bail at the top of the bucket, substantially as described.

5. A bucket of the character described having a body of water-proof flexible material and having a vertical double seam up its back, a reinforcing bar inclosed in said seam and extending substantially from top to bottom of the bucket, the body of the bucket being folded to provide, when collapsed, flat front and back sides connected by inturned side folds, the front and back and the two side folds being sewn together flat at the bottom, a fold provided at the top of the bucket, a reinforced ring in said fold shaped to form a spout in the top, and top and bottom bails on the bucket, substantially as described.

6. A bucket of the character described comprising a body formed of flexible water:

proof material which, when collapsed, is

folded to provide flat front and back portions connected by inturned side folds, a reinforcing fabric strip over the flat bottom of the bucket and sewn through both the front, back and side folds, a reinforcing metallic ring extending across the bottom and disposed in the fold of said reinforcing strip and having its outer ends brought together to form a bottom bail, and a top bail for the bucket, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature.

ELMORE JEROME MITCHELL.

Witness NOMIE WELSH.

- Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents Washington, D. 0. 

